The present invention relates to a spring array connector and specifically to a spring array connector which is mechanically unified but electrically segmented for interconnecting components and circuit boards in electrical apparatus.
Tape Automated Bonding or TAB is often used for surface mounted electrical components. Many electrical components are mounted on a tape roll with frames, similar to 35 mm movie film. At each frame on the roll, there is printed circuit wiring with a component attached. The wiring is used to bond the component to a printed circuit board.
The Harkon Pin Array is used in IBM mainframe computers to connect large electronic modules with a printed circuit board. This connector system uses an array of discrete pins, an array of discrete sockets, and a cam plate. The pins insert loosely into the sockets with almost zero force per pin. Then the cam plate forces the array sideways, which caused wiping and engagement of the electrical connections.
A Harkon Pin Array may have several thousand pins. Nevertheless, the total insertion force is moderate because the effect of having a large number of pins is cancelled by the near zero force per pin.
A Zebra Connector is used in some electronic watches. The connector includes an elastomeric sheet with densely spaced parallel wires penetrating the sheet. Each wire is electronically independent and separately bendable. The sheet is interposed between two arrays of electronic terminals.
Micro-coaxial cables are used to transmit high bandwidth electrical signals with little attenuation, reflection, and echoes. One example is a metal wire, with concentric dielectric coating, and concentric outer metal coating. This provides a well-controlled uniform AC impedance.
The Coil Chain Zipper is a well-known technology to mechanically connect two edges of cloth. Attached to each edge is a coil of metal or strong plastic. A sliding actuator engages these coils and interleaves the turns of the two coils. By sliding in the reverse direction, the actuator separates the turns of the two coils, and disengages the two edges.
The Canted Coil Spring is sold by Bal Seal Engineering Co., Santa Ana, Calif. This spring is a wire coil, shaped like a helix, but skewed parallel to its axis. When squeezed in a direction perpendicular to its axis, the spring bends with approximately constant force versus deflection. One application is a spring reinforced seal ring for low friction moving seals. Therefore, a skewed torroidal helix of wound wire is embedded inside an elastomeric seal ring.
The "banana plug" has long been used to connect a wire to a socket. The plug includes a springy metal sheet, shaped like a cross with four narrow legs. The sheet is bent over an end of a central rod so that the four legs bulge along the sides of the rod. At the base of the rod the legs are attached to a wire. When the plug is inserted into a socket, the springy legs bend to fit the socket.
Filed on the same date as this patent application is a patent application entitled "A Printed-Circuit-Like Array of Springs with Non-Linear Force vs Deflection", having an inventor in common with an inventor of this application, that teaches a class of sheet metal springs which buckle during bending which application is incorporated herein by reference. One example is a spring shaped in the form of Greek letter .OMEGA. Omega. When vertically squeezed, the force is rougly independent of deflection over a significant range. An array of many springs can be fabricated in parallel from a sheet of springy metal and a baseplate. The springy sheet is etched (like a printed circuit), then gang-folded (die-formed), and then attached to the baseplate. That same patent application describes a "pleay" shape spring which is closely related to an Omega spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,037 describes an electrical connector with a plurality of elongated flexible connectors, such as bowed wires, embedded in and extending between the surfaces of a block of elastomeric insulating material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,297 describes a substrate connector with a tubular spring body and wire connectors helix-wound around this tube. There is a longitudinal slot in the tubular spring body and the wound wires.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,424 describes a multi-contact spring interposer for board to board connections. The interpose has multiple contact elements, each with spring arms. There is a dielectric rigid support which applies a high contact pressure in spite of a wide deflection range.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,729 describes a flexible connector cable. There is a flat flexible printed circuit cable with raised soft metal bumps. The cable is interposed between a pair of flat circuit boards with matching connector areas.
The soft metal bumps are deformed under pressure to provide good electrical contact.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,876 describes a laminated connector for connections along the edge of a printed circuit board. A continuous row of spring conductor strips are located on an insulating web.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,519 describes an electrical interposer to connect arrays of conductive areas. The interposer has a dielectric housing with compartments having connector elements with cantilever spring arms.
The present invention is distinct from and provides an improvement over the above described connectors.